Tom Sizemore dead at 61
‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘Black Hawk Down’ star has been in critical condition. Sizemore’s family were informed by doctors earlier this week ‘there is no further hope’
Tom Sizemore, the actor known for portraying Mike Horvath in “Saving Private Ryan,” has died, Fox News Digital confirmed. He was 61.
“It is with great sadness and sorrow I have to announce that actor Thomas Edward Sizemore (“Tom Sizemore”) aged 61 passed away peacefully in his sleep today at St Joseph’s Hospital Burbank,” Sizemore’s representative Charles Lago said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“His brother Paul and twin boys Jayden and Jagger, 17, were at his side.”
Lago continued, “In the early hours of Saturday, February 18, 2023, Tom Sizemore collapsed at his Los Angeles home and was transported to a hospital by Paramedics. He was found to be suffering from a brain aneurysm that occurred as a result of a stroke. Since that day, Tom has remained in critical condition, in a coma and in intensive care. Tom has remained in intensive care since that day and not regained conciseness.”
Tom Sizemore, the actor known for portraying Mike Horvath in “Saving Private Ryan,” has died, we can confirm. He was 61. (Jeff Vespa)
“There will be a private cremation service for the family with a larger celebration of life event planned in a few weeks.”
“The Sizemore family has been comforted by the hundreds of messages of support and love shown to their son, brother and father. They are asking for privacy during this difficult time and I am asking for those wishes to please be respected.”
“On a personal note, I am very saddened by the loss of not only a client but a great friend and mentor of almost 15 years. Tom was one of the most sincere, kind and generous human beings I have had the pleasure of knowing. His courage and determination through adversity was always an inspiration to me. The past couple of years were great for him and he was getting his life back to a great place. He loved his sons and his family. I will miss my friend Tom Sizemore Greatly.”
Lago also provided a statement on behalf of Sizemore’s ex-wife Maeve Quinlan, to whom he was married from 1996 to 1999 and who remained in contact with the late actor.
“My heartfelt condolences to the entire Sizemore family and Tom’s long-time manager, Charles Lago,” Quinlan said. “Most especially, my thoughts and prayers go out to Tom’s two sons, Jayden and Jagger. May God hold you both in the palm of his hand, give you strength and bless you all the days of your lives.”
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of my big brother Tom,” Sizemore’s brother Paul Sizemore said in a statement provided by Lago.
Paul continued, “He was larger than life. He has influenced my life more than anyone I know. He was talented, loving, giving and could keep you entertained endlessly with his wit and storytelling ability. I am devastated he is gone and will miss him always”
Lago added, “The twins are devastated by the loss of their father and will release a statement at a later time. I ask that the boys are afforded privacy during this very difficult [time].”
Sizemore was hospitalized on Feb. 18 after suffering a brain aneurysm that occurred as a result of a stroke, his representative previously confirmed to Fox News Digital. (Tibrina Hobson)
Sizemore was hospitalized on Feb. 18 after suffering a brain aneurysm that occurred as a result of a stroke, Lago previously confirmed to Fox News Digital. He was placed in critical condition and was receiving intensive care at the hospital.
“His family is aware of the situation and are hoping for the best,” Lago said at the time. “It is too early to know about [a] recovery situation as he is in critical condition and under observation.”
On Feb. 27, things took a turn for the worse, with Lago confirming, “Doctors informed his family that there is no further hope and have recommended end-of-life decision.”
“The family is now deciding end-of-life matters.”
Per Mayo Clinic, a brain aneurysm is described as the “bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain” that “can leak or rupture, causing bleeding into the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).”Sizemore enjoyed a successful run in Hollywood in the late 1990s to early 2000s starring in blockbuster films including “Black Hawk Down” and “Heat” His career then took a hit following issues with substance abuse and arrests for DUI, domestic abuse, and possession of a controlled substance.
In 2013, he released a memoir detailing his “wild ride through Hollywood,” titled, “By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There.”
On Feb. 27, things took a turn for the worse, with Sizemore’s rep confirming, “Doctors informed his family that there is no further hope and have recommended end-of-life decision.” (Robin Marchant)
A synopsis of the book said Sizemore’s days had been “filled with overdoses, suicide attempts, and homelessness.”
The memoir was “a harrowing journey into the heart of his addiction, told in riveting and often shocking detail. By turns gritty and heartbreaking, it is also one man’s look at a particular moment in entertainment history—a window into the drug-fueled spotlight that sent Robert Downey, Jr., to jail and killed River Phoenix, Heath Ledger, Chris Farley, and many others far before their time.”
Born in Detroit, Sizemore, starred in films including “Born on the Fourth of July” with Tom Cruise, “Pearl Harbor” with Ben Affleck, and the television show “Twin Peaks“.
According to IMDb, the actor currently has 33 upcoming credits for various productions.
In 2013, he released a memoir detailing his “wild ride through Hollywood,” titled, “By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There.” (CBS)
Sizemore worked with Tom Hanks and Matt Damon in Steven Spielberg’s World War II drama, “Saving Private Ryan.” (CBS Photo Archive)
He has also produced and written a variety of projects.
Previously married to actress Maeve Quinlan from 1996 through 1999, Sizemore had several run-ins with the law and openly discussed his journey to sobriety.
In an interview with Fox News Digital in 2021, Sizemore shared his commitment to getting sober, saying “I’ve been trying to get sober since 1991 … It became really big news much later than that, but I was trying to stop. I’ve had a problem for a long time. I had periods, long periods, of sobriety and I would end up relapsing.”
Tom Sizemore had more than 200 film and television credits to his name. (Mike Nelson)
“I still go to meetings and work my steps, but I had reached a place in my life where I knew I had to stop,” he explained. “I couldn’t be arrogant anymore. If I wanted to reach a nice and pleasant old age, I had to stop. And if I wanted to watch my kids grow up, I needed to reach a place where I knew it was over.”
Tom Sizemore, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Actor, Dies at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Tom Sizemore, the “Saving Private Ryan” actor whose bright 1990s star burned out under the weight of his own domestic violence and drug convictions, died Friday at age 61.
The actor had suffered a brain aneurysm on Feb. 18 at his home in Los Angeles. He died in his sleep Friday at a hospital in Burbank, California, his manager Charles Lago said.
Sizemore became a star with acclaimed appearances in “Natural Born Killers” and the cult-classic crime thriller “Heat.” But serious substance dependency, abuse allegations and multiple run-ins with the law devastated his career, left him homeless and sent him to jail.
As the global #MeToo movement wave crested in late 2017, Sizemore was also accused of groping an 11-year-old Utah girl on set in 2003. He called the allegations “highly disturbing,” saying he would never inappropriately touch a child. Charges were not filed.
he was part of the voice cast for 2002’s “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” video game
Despite the raft of legal trouble, Sizemore had scores of steady film and television credits — though his career never regained its onetime momentum. Aside from “Black Hawk Down” and “Pearl Harbor,” most of his 21st century roles came in low-budget, little-seen productions where he continued to play the gruff, tough guys he became famous for portraying.
“I was a guy who’d come from very little and risen to the top. I’d had the multimillion-dollar house, the Porsche, the restaurant I partially owned with Robert De Niro,” the Detroit-born Sizemore wrote in his 2013 memoir, “By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There.” “And now I had absolutely nothing.”
The book’s title was taken from a line uttered by his character in “Saving Private Ryan,” a role for which he garnered Oscar buzz. But he wrote that success turned him into a “spoiled movie star,” an “arrogant fool” and eventually “a hope-to-die addict.”
He racked up a string of domestic violence arrests. Sizemore was married once, to actor Maeve Quinlan, and was arrested on suspicion of beating her in 1997. While the charges were dropped, the couple divorced in 1999.
Sizemore was convicted of abusing ex-girlfriend Heidi Fleiss in 2003 — the same year he pleaded no contest and avoided trial in a separate abuse case — and sentenced to jail. The former Hollywood madam testified that he had punched her in the jaw at a Beverly Hills hotel, and beaten her in New York to the point where they couldn’t attend the “Black Hawk Down” premiere.
The sentencing judge said drug abuse was likely a catalyst but that testimony had revealed a man who had deep problems dealing with women. Fleiss called Sizemore “a zero” in a conversation with The Associated Press after his conviction.
Sizemore apologized in a letter, saying he was “chastened” and that “personal demons” had taken over his life, though he later denied abusing her and accused her of faking a picture showing her bruises.
Fleiss also sued Sizemore, saying she suffered emotional distress after he threatened to get her own probation revoked. Fleiss had been convicted in 1994 of running a high-priced call-girl ring. That lawsuit was settled on undisclosed terms.
Sizemore was the subject of two workplace sexual harassment lawsuits related to the 2002 CBS show “Robbery Homicide Division,” in which he played a police detective. He was arrested as recently as 2016 in another domestic violence case.
Sizemore ended up jailed from August 2007 to January 2009 for failing numerous drug tests while on probation and after Bakersfield, California, authorities found methamphetamine in his car.
“God’s trying to tell me he doesn’t want me using drugs because every time I use them I get caught,” Sizemore told The Bakersfield Californian in a jailhouse interview.
Sizemore told the AP in 2013 that he believed his dependency was related to the trappings of success. He struggled to maintain his emotional composure as he described a low point looking in the mirror: “I looked like I was 100 years old. I had no relationship with my kids; I had no work to speak off. I was living in squat.”
He appeared on the reality TV show “Celebrity Rehab” and its spinoff “Sober House,” telling the AP that he did the shows to receive help, but also partly to pay off accumulated debts that ran into the millions.
Many of Sizemore’s later-career films had a sci-fi, horror or action bent: In 2022 alone, he starred in movies with such titles as “Impuratus,” “Night of the Tommyknockers” and “Vampfather“. But Sizemore still nabbed a few meaty roles — including in the “Twin Peaks” revival — and guest spots on popular shows like “Entourage” and “Hawaii Five-O“.
A stuntman sued Sizemore and Paramount Pictures in 2016, saying he was injured when the allegedly intoxicated actor ran him over while filming USA’s “Shooter“. State records obtained by the AP showed that Sizemore was only supposed to be sitting in the unmoving car and that he “improvised at the end of the scene and drove away in his car.” Sizemore was fired from “Shooter” and the stuntman’s lawsuit was settled on undisclosed terms.
In addition to his film and TV credits, he was part of the voice cast for 2002’s “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” video game. He also taught classes at the LA West Acting Studio, according to recent advertisements.
He is survived by his 17-year-old twin sons, Jayden and Jagger, and his brother Paul, all of whom were by his side when he died.
“I’ve led an interesting life, but I can’t tell you what I’d give to be the guy you didn’t know anything about,” Sizemore wrote in his memoir.
TOM SIZEMOREDEAD AT 61
Tom Sizemore — famous for roles in “Saving Private Ryan,” “Black Hawk Down” and several cult classic movies — has died.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RclTx0jcpMU
Even before ‘Ryan’ … Sizemore had already racked up several notable roles in flicks like “Where Sleeping Dogs Lie“, “Passenger 57“, “True Romance“, “Natural Born Killers“, “Devil in a Blue Dress“, “Heat,” “Enemy of the State” and lots of others. By this point, he’d carved out a nice little archetype for himself, often playing a tough guy and/or a hardened criminal.
Tom Sizemore, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ actor, dies at 61
BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Tom Sizemore, the “Saving Private Ryan” actor whose bright 1990s star burned out under the weight of his own domestic violence and drug convictions, died Friday at age 61.
The actor had suffered a brain aneurysm on Feb. 18 at his home in Los Angeles. He died in his sleep Friday at a hospital in Burbank, California, his manager Charles Lago said.
Sizemore became a star with acclaimed appearances in “Natural Born Killers” and the cult-classic crime thriller “Heat.” But serious substance dependency, abuse allegations and multiple run-ins with the law devastated his career, left him homeless and sent him to jail.
As the global #MeToo movement wave crested in late 2017, Sizemore was also accused of groping an 11-year-old Utah girl on set in 2003. He called the allegations “highly disturbing,” saying he would never inappropriately touch a child. Charges were not filed.
Despite the raft of legal trouble, Sizemore had scores of steady film and television credits — though his career never regained its onetime momentum. Aside from “Black Hawk Down” and “Pearl Harbor,” most of his 21st century roles came in low-budget, little-seen productions where he continued to play the gruff, tough guys he became famous for portraying.
I was a guy who’d come from very little and risen to the top. I’d had the multimillion-dollar house, the Porsche, the restaurant I partially owned with Robert De Niro,” the Detroit-born Sizemore wrote in his 2013 memoir, “By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There.” “And now I had absolutely nothing.
The book’s title was taken from a line uttered by his character in “Saving Private Ryan,” a role for which he garnered Oscar buzz. But he wrote that success turned him into a “spoiled movie star,” an “arrogant fool” and eventually “a hope-to-die addict.”
He racked up a string of domestic violence arrests. Sizemore was married once, to actor Maeve Quinlan, and was arrested on suspicion of beating her in 1997. While the charges were dropped, the couple divorced in 1999.
Sizemore was convicted of abusing ex-girlfriend Heidi Fleiss in 2003 — the same year he pleaded no contest and avoided trial in a separate abuse case — and sentenced to jail. The former Hollywood madam testified that he had punched her in the jaw at a Beverly Hills hotel, and beaten her in New York to the point where they couldn’t attend the “Black Hawk Down” premiere.
The sentencing judge said drug abuse was likely a catalyst but that testimony had revealed a man who had deep problems dealing with women. Fleiss called Sizemore “a zero” in a conversation with The Associated Press after his conviction.
Sizemore apologized in a letter, saying he was “chastened” and that “personal demons” had taken over his life, though he later denied abusing her and accused her of faking a picture showing her bruises.
Fleiss also sued Sizemore, saying she suffered emotional distress after he threatened to get her own probation revoked. Fleiss had been convicted in 1994 of running a high-priced call-girl ring. That lawsuit was settled on undisclosed terms.
Sizemore was the subject of two workplace sexual harassment lawsuits related to the 2002 CBS show “Robbery Homicide Division,” in which he played a police detective. He was arrested as recently as 2016 in another domestic violence case.
Sizemore ended up jailed from August 2007 to January 2009 for failing numerous drug tests while on probation and after Bakersfield, California, authorities found methamphetamine in his car.
God’s trying to tell me he doesn’t want me using drugs because every time I use them I get caught,” Sizemore told The Bakersfield Californian in a jailhouse interview.
Sizemore told the AP in 2013 that he believed his dependency was related to the trappings of success. He struggled to maintain his emotional composure as he described a low point looking in the mirror: “I looked like I was 100 years old. I had no relationship with my kids; I had no work to speak off. I was living in squat.”
He appeared on the reality TV show “Celebrity Rehab” and its spinoff “Sober House,” telling the AP that he did the shows to receive help, but also partly to pay off accumulated debts that ran into the millions.
Many of Sizemore’s later-career films had a sci-fi, horror or action bent: In 2022 alone, he starred in movies with such titles as “Impuratus,” “Night of the Tommyknockers” and “Vampfather.” But Sizemore still nabbed a few meaty roles — including in the “Twin Peaks” revival — and guest spots on popular shows like “Entourage” and “Hawaii Five-O.”
A stuntman sued Sizemore and Paramount Pictures in 2016, saying he was injured when the allegedly intoxicated actor ran him over while filming USA’s “Shooter.” State records obtained by the AP showed that Sizemore was only supposed to be sitting in the unmoving car and that he “improvised at the end of the scene and drove away in his car.” Sizemore was fired from “Shooter” and the stuntman’s lawsuit was settled on undisclosed terms.
In addition to his film and TV credits, he was part of the voice cast for 2002’s “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” video game. He also taught classes at the LA West Acting Studio, according to recent advertisements.
He is survived by his 17-year-old twin sons, Jayden and Jagger, and his brother Paul, all of whom were by his side when he died.
“I’ve led an interesting life, but I can’t tell you what I’d give to be the guy you didn’t know anything about,” Sizemore wrote in his memoir.